frontprojected

Frontprojected is an adjective used to describe an image, display, or projection produced by projecting light onto a screen from the viewer’s side. In a front-projection setup, the projector is placed on the same side of the screen as the audience, and light reflects off the screen toward observers. This contrasts with rear projection, where the projector is behind the screen and the image is viewed through the screen surface.

The term is used across contexts such as cinema, theater, classrooms, corporate presentations, and home theater installations. Front-projection screens are designed to reflect light toward the audience; screen choice ranges from matte white for general use to high-gain or ambient-light-rejecting varieties for brighter rooms. Short-throw and ultra-short-throw projectors, which sit close to the screen, are common in front-projection systems and help reduce room depth and shadows, though they require careful alignment and screen quality to maintain uniform image and avoid distortion.

Limitations of front projection include potential audience shadows when a presenter stands between the projector and the screen, ambient light wash reducing contrast, and the need for suitable screen surfaces. It remains a common choice for multi-use spaces where rear projection is impractical or cost-prohibitive.

Etymology: the term is a compound formed from front and projected; while many sources use "front-projected," some texts write "frontprojected" without a space or hyphen.